Yamaha GA15 settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for Yamaha GA15
Nirvana · adapted 8 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Yamaha GA15, set Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Drive gain 5, Clean volume 0, Drive volume 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Yamaha ERG121C · updated 2026-11-05
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Yamaha GA15 knobs
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Drive gain
- 5
- Clean volume
- 0
- Drive volume
- 6
- Drive clean switch
- 1
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Use tight palm muting for chugging sections.
- Focus on dynamic picking to maintain clarity in the riff.
- Experiment with picking attack to achieve a gritty edge.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Yamaha GA15 actually has.
- Guitar
- Fender Jaguar (early 1960s, modified with DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup and black Seymour Duncan Hot Rails neck pickup)
- Amp
- Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s)
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
- Reverb
- 2
Different guitar or pedals? Get Heart-Shaped Box adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Nirvana's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Yamaha GA15 settings for Heart-Shaped Box?
Set Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Drive gain 5, Clean volume 0, Drive volume 6.
Which pickup should I use for Heart-Shaped Box?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did Nirvana use on Heart-Shaped Box?
Guitar: Fender Jaguar (early 1960s, modified with DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup and black Seymour Duncan Hot Rails neck pickup). Amp: Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Yamaha ERG121C. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Heart-Shaped Box on other amps
- Heart-Shaped Box on Fender Mustang LT25 · 165
- Heart-Shaped Box on Fender Frontman 10G · 67
- Heart-Shaped Box on Boss Katana · 62
- Heart-Shaped Box on Fender Champion 20 · 30
- Heart-Shaped Box on Line 6 Helix Floor / LT / Rack · 20
- Heart-Shaped Box on Fender Frontman 20G · 19
- Heart-Shaped Box on Fender Frontman 15G · 18
- Heart-Shaped Box on Orange Crush 12 · 17
Popular songs on the Yamaha GA15
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Walk · Pantera
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Creep · Radiohead
- Iris · Goo Goo Dolls
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.